Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-01-27
THE BALANCE OF POWER.
Springfield Republican.

sang in cracked tones, q stanza Oh y
HYMN which was one ofhis favorites;-
Fatherl thank thee, may no Thoughts
Fer deem thy Establishments severn
And NAV this he art by folly titught,
rain, 90 cb wild wish, each frantic fear.
In his youth, he had led the choir
Ia the village church-and IN ms age
he still liked to hear the sound OF ms
voice, attuned to praising the Lord.
As he sang he thought Of those who
had gone before him to join the invisi-
BILE choir that sings the praises OF the
Lamb amid the throng OF the blessed
which he hoped so soon to JON, Tor
death had lost all its sting for him.
and he awaited its summons with the
peaceful happiness with only belongs
to the evening OF q well-spent life.
Mr.. Harrison had lost his wife eight
wears before; his only daughter was
comfortably settled in a home OF her
own. but his only son had brought
his family to the old homestead ana
had arranged with his father to carry
on the farm s'to halves, the old man
retaining the management, ostensioly,
and doing what work he pleased de
had kept the old nursery for his bed
room and shared the sitting-room
and dining-room with his sons family;
But as age crept over him ne had
found the quiet of his own room more
agreeable to him, and he was accus-
toned to sit there during the long WIN
ter evenings and read the daily news
naper. while his son would often JOIN
him TO discuss the business OF the farm
and to talk upon the politics OF the
day. for Mr.. Harrison's mind still re-
tanned its yigor. And as he sat and
nused and hummed the tunes he used
to delight in singing, Thomas, his son,
opened the door and the old man SAID:
"Come in, Toni Come right in! I'm
thinking OF the old times when you
were a baby, and mother sat here
and she and I sang together the Old
times we learned at singing-schooL
where we fell in love with each other.
Oh. how happy we werel OF course,
we had our crosses to bear-snouidn
been human il we hadn't. 'Taint the
lot OF mortals TO enjoy all sunshine,
or bear all storms. And was set IN
nv way. / know that | wouldn {
give in easy. Suthin' OF the bulldog
about me, ard you, too, for that
matter We've both OF us got the
square Jaw that tells OF the have
your-own.way folks, haven't we,
Tom?
"But she was as likely a woman as
ever got my eyes on,-pretty as a
picter and smart as chain light
ninp Yet when she began to dispute
she wouldn't hold out long and al
lers let me have the last word, so
there were not long quarreilings
.twixt us. Then I alters felt shamed
when l thought about it, as / plow-
ed or moved or reaped or drove
the oxen, and when / went to
the village I'd bring her suthin -
praps a new dress or ribbin, II moth
ing else quarter pound OF candy.
Wimmem folks like sweet things, you
know, Tom, and they would alters do
the business for me and she'd give me
a kiss in return, and so it was all
honey. pie with us again. And I've
been thinking and thinking about her
this New years eve. Sixty-two years
ago married her-and yet she comes
to me tonight as young and fresh
and blooming as on that happy day.
And forget the years that have past,
my heart forgets all its aches and ais,
and / dream that we are young togeth-
er, and when you opened the door
/ was talking with her, didn't you
hear me? Doyou think I'm losing my
senses that say these things, Tom?
Not bit! Noe bit! tell you if you
live to be SO years old you will live
in the past more than in the present.
am old, dropping down like sere
and yellow leaf-soon to be trodden
under foot"
And the old man sighed heavily, as
at the awakening from a pleasant
dream to sad reality.
"Yes, father, yesl" said Tom; "you
are growing old and feeble, and May
and have been thinking that you
ought not to do any more work, but
Just sit beside the fire place, and let
us take care of you.
swell, WE'LL" said the old man tes-
tily II don't know about that. I've
got some muscle left-ain't quite anti
quated yet, like old Scott, who is 90.
guess there's some work left in my
old bones still. What are you aiming
at, Tom? Out with it, I'm alters
downright and to the point. You
know don't beat round the BUSH"
"Well, father, we thought" said
Tom, MARY and THAT perhaps
you'd deed us the farm and its ap-
purtenances, and let us promise to
take care of you while you live"
81 don't know about that" said
Mr.. Harrison. 1--WE hearn tell ofsuch
bargains where they fairly druve the
old man to the grave, or wus than
that the poor-house. ] don't know
about that, Tom. What the matter
with Mary and you? Hain't you got
enough to live on now, to be able to
wait till my death for the rest? Iallers
calkilated to give you the farm, and
Maria my bank stock and coupon
bonds, and that's giving you double
portion, too, which boys alters got in
my day. Now where does the shoe
pinch you and Mary?"
"Why father, it don't PINCH" said
Tom, ''only you know we have got
several children and others may come,
and John your namesake, must 60 to
school this next year. 1t won't do
not to school him, for he is smart,
just like you, father, and teacher saws
he must go to the academy at Meriden,
and Maria, mothers namesake, is lust
as pretty as she was, and she needs
schooling, and other things, you
know"
He did not dare say "a piano" for
lear his father might object. Yet the
old mans fondness for hymns would
have carried the day upon that point.
But the references to himself and his
wife pleased him highly, as Thomas
Harrison knew they would do, and he
thawed perceptibly as he said
"Yes, yes, | know you've got a
mighty smart lot of chicks coming on
smarter than the old folks, / do
think, but Maria isn't any prettier
than her grandma was-p'r'a APPS not
nigh on as pretty. Yes, yes, think
lots ofmy grandchildren and I'll think
about this matter. I'll do what's
right, Tom. You are my only SON
how | do remember you as a baby!
Your mother sot by you more than
by her daughter, do believe. Well
III see what I'll do tomorrow. What
do they say in the village about this
Carlisle as speaker OF the House? |
believe he is the right man In the right
place, and he will fix this revenue
business straight, | bet" so the
father and son talked politics amicab.
~ and both slept 1.-THE sleep OF the